Scrooges, All of You

As it always does this time of year, the debate is raging: Is it too early for Christmas? I will admit that in the past, I was definitely on the side of "not until Black Friday" when it came to Christmas, but this year is different.


*standing up tall, shoulders back* 

I will admit it. I have started and I don't care what you think. We've got Christmas music daily (though we are already sick of the 24/7 Xmas station's 10 song rotation), a start on the outside lights (not on yet though), and holiday beverages flowing. If my husband would let me, I'd start putting decorations up. But as it is, they are strewn across the family room awaiting the ok.  

I have a good excuse for this jump start... really I do. This is the first Christmas that Linus is really and truly gonna know what's going on and that's my driving force. I'm just so excited to share it all with him. Plus, the reality is that it's gonna take at least a month to get up all the decorations (I'm doing 4 trees and have a closet entirely devoted to Christmas) with a toddler assisting. 

And as far as the Christmas lights, it has taken 2 afternoons and 2 trips to Target for my husband to get up 2 strings of lights. Believe me when I say we need the extra time.  

I love Thanksgiving. I do. But everything about that is already planned and color coded on a spreadsheet. All that's left is the cooking. Why wouldn't I go ahead and get started on Christmas?  

However, if all of that is not a good enough excuse, I will give one that will end all other arguments. Here it is: My email from Martha told me that I should have my Christmas cards already made or purchased by this week and I haven't even started. You see, Martha thinks I'm behind and that's just killing me.

So, there.

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This post is in response to Marty's (who is obviously my long lost Christmas sister) latest post over at Triangle Mamas and the continuing Triangle Mama's Twitter-bate regarding the official Christmas start date.

Condensed Classics: Frosty the Snowman

There's just so much sad right now that I figure we need a little pick me up, or at least I do. Plus, this at least offers a bit of reasoning why I'm already in Christmas mode despite Thanksgiving being a week away.




(Yes, that is me at the end trying very hard to not crack-up but ultimately totally losing it.)

Green Cleaning

It really came down to the fog. The first bath after my husband scrubs the tub, I always notice a cloudiness to the water. It's the remains of the cleaner. Combine that with the fact that I CANNOT get Linus to stop drinking bath water, and you'll understand why I needed to find an alternative. It's not that I don't prefer a greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyle. I do. We cloth diaper, shop with cloth bags, reuse jars for food storage, cancel junk mail and magazine subscriptions, drink tap water, purchase milk in returnable glass bottles, and recycle. And that's only some of it. It's just making my own cleaning products seemed complicated and yet another thing I had to do so I stuck with my semi-green cleaning.

I've given up bleach and used Method and Mrs. Meyer's products for quite a while but they really aren't that much better. Now, I'm trying to step it up even more and make a real switch. I'm, er... really my husband is scrubbing my tub with baking soda and Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap (the peppermint scent is perfect this time of year). I'm using Charlie's Soap* for all the laundry not just diapers. (I LOVE it and it lasts FOREVER.) I'm using a surface spray made from the following recipe I found over at Young House Love... although I'm a bit worried about the toxicity of Borax. (Advice?)

Surface Spray:

• 16 oz spray bottle
• 2 tsp. borax
• ¼ tsp. liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s)
  
• hot water

I'm also hoping to find a glass cleaner recipe that works. Vinegar? Lemon juice? And if anyone knows of a dishwasher detergent that is more green but actually works, I'd love to know. I've had rotten luck with Seventh Generation and switched back to Cascade after numerous still dirty loads. The best part about all this green cleaning is how much cheaper it seems to be. Baking soda purchased in bulk is cheap as is vinegar. The Dr. Bronner's seemed expensive at $8 per bottle but when it takes a quarter teaspoon to make a batch of surface cleaner, I think it will last.

It's not a complete switch yet but it's a start.

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Now that I'm exploring all these natural cleaners, I'm curious what your favorite green products are for cleaning or otherwise? Do you dig on Burt's Bees*? Do you have a favorite Seventh Generation, Method, or Mrs. Meyer's product? Do you have a favorite green recipe? Spill it all so I can make the change with less trial and error and more success.

*Triple word score for me since these companies are local. Woot!

Kids at Christmas

Heard an ad on the Christmas radio station today: "Having kids is sometimes worth it... especially at Christmas."

But see the thing is, having kids is NOT a sometimes thing. If they were a sometimes thing, I'd totally have 20.

Finding My Way Despite Google Maps

I like to think it was a case of too much information.  What do you think?

My latest post over at Triangle Mamas entitled "Lost in Durham".

This Week in Dinner

I know I've mentioned all of this before but let me say it one more time. Without Everyday Food and Harris Teeter Express Lane, my family would starve. I'm just saying.

Instead here is what's on the menu for next week:

Bean and Pasta Soup
Creamy Pasta with Ham and Broccoli
Meatloaf with a side of Maple-glazed Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes
Penne alla Norma
Beef Stroganoff with a side of Roasted Butternut Squash

(It's kind of pasta heavy. Usually I don't allow that to happen but this week, I'm too tired to care.)

And just for kicks, I'm thinking I might make a Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

While we're talking food, I'm currently considering the Holiday Dinner from Everyday Food's December 2005 issue. It centers around Boeuf Bourguignon with a side of potatoes with parsley. It also includes a Watercress, Frisee, and Pear Salad, and wraps up with Cream Puffs and hot fudge.

I included links to as many as I could find online. I tend to strive for meals that have a preparation time of 30 minutes or less. Some may take longer to cook (like the Beef Stroganoff that sits in the Crock-Pot all day), but I refuse to do more than 30 minutes work for a meal that Linus may or may not throw on the floor.

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As I am always looking for new recipes, what are some of your favorite recipes or recipe resources for getting meals on the table for hungry families?